Jacarandas in the Wind
by Loki211
Summary: .:Necklace of Kisses by Francesca Lia Block:. The magic and wonder has left the pink hotel. Will Winnie, a young girl full of so much saddness bring it back, not just for herself, but another as well?
1. Arrival

Hello all!

-First, I do not own any of the Weetzie Bat books, or their characters. I just wish I had Weetzie's style...-sigh-

-Second, I hope you guys enjoy this! I know lots of you love my NATM and it won't be put on hold! I'll just have to write them both at the same time!

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His first customer of the night was a quiet girl. As she manuvered into the yellow cab in the light of the setting sun, the driver felt ill at ease. She said very little, only to direct him to their destination. Her voice was tiny and whispery, like spider webs in the wind. Other than that, she stared out the window with startlingly violet eyes. Her chesnut colored hair was piled atop her head messily, tiny tendrils coiling their way down her heart-shaped face, only slightly hiding the delicately pointed ears. The driver could feel emotion roiling off of her, the saddness penetrating deep in his heart. Tears filled his eyes of their own voilition. He didn't dare ask her why she felt that way. He just drove. The meter clicked each mile. As pretty as this girl was, he couldn't wait to get away from her.

Winnie put on her jacket just as the taxi arrived in front of the hotel. The sun had gone to bed now, and the stars twinkled down at her. She pulled her suitcase out of the trunk and paid the driver, who flew as soon as the money connected with his hand, the bills almost scattering to the wind like green butterflies. Pulling the jacket around her tightly, though it wasn't cold, Winnie trudged up the steps, through the door, to the front desk. A woman with beautiful ebony skin was there to greet her, silken black locks swept neatly back in a chignon. Her name tag read "Bella."

"How may I help you?" The woman's voice was pleasant in Winnie's ears. Winnie gave her a small smile, a rare thing for those who knew her. Bella could feel this, and smiled back. "I need a room, just for one, please," Winnie replied. Bella nodded, and handed her a key. She saw the blue tinge of Winnie's fingernails and gently took her hand. "Don't give up," she whispered. Winnie did not respond. She followed the bellboy through the halls and up the stairs to her room. It was spacious, one bed, television, table, chair, a spacious bathroom, which held a claw-foot tub. Two large doors opened up to a balcony. She tipped the bellboy, then settled down on the bed. "Well," she said aloud, "now I don't know what to do." Winnie hadn't planned this far ahead.

Pan sat at the room service desk twirling a jacaranda flower in his fingers. The purple petals fell delicately to the desk as he spun faster. He hated this season. It always reminded him of Phaedra. She had loved jacarandas. She had loved him too, or so he thought. He tossed the remaining stem out the window and swept the petals off of his desk. This season was not all bad. They made him think of his friend, Weetzie Bat. The time she had spent here a few summers ago was, to say the least, great fun. He smiled remembering, showing the tiny gap between his two front teeth. He sighed, and looked at the clock. Only seven forty-five. "This is my nightlife," he thought to himself. "Catering to the slightest whim of needy, greedy people." Ever since Weetzie had left with her happiness, the magic of the hotel had diminished, bringing only the nastiest, most spiteful people into its comforting rooms and mystical atmosphere. Pan only hoped that another person could come along and, somehow, bring it back for everyone. Even him.

Winnie's slight figure cast a dim sillhouette from the hotel lights as she stood on the balcony. Her room faced towards the pool, where many deck chairs and umbrella-ed tables sat awaiting use. The pool water glimmered. Jacarandas climbed up the side of the hotel, twining with oleander bushes at the bottom. Winnie's felt her saddness was one she would never forget. But nevertheless, she felt an odd twinge of something magical about to happen.

Pan could feel it too.


	2. Nightmares and Chance Meetings

I really hope that I got Pan's facial features right. I'm just not sure about his eyes...though violet would be pretty...MMMMM

Enjoy!

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That night, Winnie did not sleep well. Her dreams were haunted, fraught with shadows with evil green eyes. They pinned her down, held her to the ground. She tried to scream, but her mouth would not move. The shadow cackled, drunk with power. It reached for her, pushed her back towards the darkness. Winnie came up out of the bed and out of the dream screaming. Without thinking, she jumped out of bed and ran out of her room, and down to the stairs, as she reached the very bottom, she was just about to go out the door, when she slammed into something very solid.

Finally, Pan's shift ended at 3 a.m. He gathered his things in a worn backpack, and started out the door. Hands in his pockets, he whistled, waving to the janitor as he passed his office. He pushed open the door leading to the main hotel entrance, and suddenly, a person ran smack into his chest. She would have bounced off and hit the floor hard if he hadn't reached out his hands to grab her. She fought wildly as he clasped her to him, but he held tightly. Finally, she calmed down and sobbed against his chest. Her arms came around his waist. Pan wasn't sure of what to do. He rubbed her back softly, patted her hair. She clung to him like a frightened child. "Hey," he said, trying to get her attention. The girl, who was almost a foot shorter than his six feet, looked up with a tear-stained face. Pan smiled, glad she was no longer crying. Observing her face, he was quite taken with what he saw.

Winnie was surprised at the way this man was taking her sudden outburst into his arms. Not that she minded. He was gorgeous, standing six feet at least, curly brown hair, and an adorable gapped smile. His violet eyes reflected her own of the same color, though the the pupils were strangely rounded, like that of a goat. His arms felt nice around her, muscular and tan from the outdoors. He smelled so nice...The man began speaking to her again, and she focused on his words. "Are you okay?" he said again.

"Yeah, just...a really bad dream," she replied. He smiled again, and she blushed a little. Winnie suddenly remembered where she was, and scrambled backwards out of his arms, her face a rosy red.

Pan was disappointed as she scooted out of his arms. "Must have been some dream to have that kind of a reaction."

"You don't know the half of it." Her bow of a mouth was lovely to watch. He hoped she'd talk more. She pushed her hair back away from her face. "I'm really sorry about all of this. It doesn't usually happen." He waved it away.

"It's never a problem to help a damsel in distress." She blushed an even deeper shad of red. "I don't think I got your name."

"It's Winnie." Winnie. A name had never sounded so wonderful in his mind. "What's yours?"

"Pan."

"Pan?" Winnie stifled a giggle. No wonder his eyes had that shape! He didn't seem offended, however. "Maybe he gets that all the time?" she thought to herself. Pan held out his hand, but she flinched back instinctively. He frowned, but she took it quickly, shaking it. "Nice to meet you Pan."

"Nice to meet you too, Winnie." The two stood in the hall, shuffling their feet, looking away. They had run out of things to say. "So..."

"Um...thanks again for your help."

"Hey, anytime. I work here you know. If you ever need me, just ring room service." Okay, so it wasn't exactly his number.

"Sure." Her smile was genuine. "Well...see you."

As Winnie walked away, Pan turned to go as well. He wondered why she had flinched away from his handshake, or what the hell that dream had been about. He looked back over his shoulder and saw that she had done the same. She waved, but he only smiled. He shook his head. This girl was such a mystery, one he intended to solve.

Winnie's walk back to her room was one of shame. The dreams were coming back, as she knew they would. Unlocking the door, she quickly entered, turned on the light. It was just as she'd left it, though the covers were thrown completely from the bed. She had to make it up again, but as she got back in, she could not fall asleep. Winnie was surprised at herself. How, after what had happened, could she find anyone appealing, much less, someone feel the same about her? She brushed away the memories that tried to flood her mind. Not tonight, not after meeting Pan, beautiful Pan. Normally, she would never have acted that way, but for some reason this was so different. When Winnie began to get tired, she was afraid of the dreams coming back, and this time there would be no Pan to rescue her. Pan. His smile filled her thoughts, his kind eyes reflecting her image. Winnie slept dreamlessly for the rest of the night.


End file.
